According to a new blog post from the firm, WhatsApp will allow users to connect to the service over a proxy server. The move appears to be explicitly targeted at Iran, where the government has shut down the internet due to months of violent protests and is primarily intended to assist users in nations where WhatsApp is prohibited or if there is an internet outage.
WhatsApp CEO, Will Cathcart took to Twitter and drew attention to the disparity between millions who can text their friends and loved ones and others in Iran who are refrained from exercising the fundamental right to communicate freely and privately. Hence the firm is doing its best to ensure that every individual is able to connect to WA using a proxy.
What is a ‘Proxy Server’?
Simply put, a proxy server is an entryway for users to access the internet. It has its own IP address, and in this instance, traffic from a computer or mobile device will be routed through that server to access a specific service. Proxy servers are frequently employed to get around network restrictions on some websites.
Happy New Year!
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) January 5, 2023
While many of us celebrated by texting our loved ones on WA, there are millions of people in Iran and elsewhere who continue to be denied the right to communicate freely and privately.
So today we’re making it easier for anyone to connect to WA using a proxy. pic.twitter.com/qbx9FAqXP2
The new functionality, he continued, will ensure that anyone may access WhatsApp through servers “established by volunteers and groups.” A proxy connection will enable users to access WhatsApp even if it is restricted in their region. Alongside a blog post on its own website, WA has also posted a comprehensive how-to on Github for setting up a proxy server.
This will enable anyone to connect through servers set up by volunteers and organizations dedicated to helping people communicate freely. So when a connection to WhatsApp is blocked, people have the power to restore access.https://t.co/U7SSBWzFWs
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) January 5, 2023
The business, in a different blog post, claimed that even though the messages will be shared over a proxy server, they will still be end-to-end encrypted. Anyone using the most recent version of WhatsApp can now choose this option from the settings menu.
Businesses or individuals may set up a proxy using a server with ports 80, 443 or 5222 available and a domain name (or subdomain) corresponding to the server’s IP address, as per WhatsApp’s FAQ page. Additionally, WhatsApp advises users who can’t use the platform directly to exchange these proxy server addresses with them discreetly. This protects the proxy server’s privacy as well.
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For users to run their own proxy infrastructure and connect to WhatsApp for chats alone, the Github repository “contains the WhatsApp proxy implementation.” Downloads of media files and VoIP are not currently supported.
